You can bet that the Grammys will stage one hell of a tribute to the memory of Tom Petty at Madison Square Garden on January 28th, 2018.

Think of the line up: in addition to Petty’s group, The Heartbreakers, the ensemble would include Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne of the Traveling Wilburys, plus the sons of the fallen Wilburys– Dhani Harrison and Roy Kelton Orbison.

And what about Sam Smith? It turned out last year that Smith’s hit “Stand by Me,” was inadvertently lifted from Petty’s hit, “I Won’t Back Down,” co-written with Lynne. The lawyers wouldn’t back down, so Smith had to give writing credit to Petty and Lynne. Smith will no doubt be jockeying for a place on the Grammys to promote his new album. Why not have him sing “I Won’t Back Down”?

That’s called karma.

Others who could join in: Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, Robbie Robertson.

There won’t be a dry eye in the house.

 This not well known video was directed by Sean Penn and Samuel Bayer, starring Anthony Hopkins. It was for Tom Petty’s Mudcrunch song, “I Forgive it All.” Hopkins tweeted:

RIP Tom Petty. Memorable day recording this video, thank you.

While we wait for final news of Tom Petty, his fans are buying up his music at an astonishing rate.

On iTunes, Petty has the number 1 spot plus seven other albums on the top 100. He also has seven singles on the singles chart.

On Amazon, Petty has four of the top 5 albums, and another six or seven albums on the top 100 as well as the Traveling Wilburys’ first album. Petty’s anticipated death leave just Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne the only living Wilburys. George Harrison and Roy Orbison are also gone.

By tomorrow Spotify will have numbers on how many Petty songs are being streamed. That number has to be in the millions.

It’s hard to believe that Petty, who has been a straight arrow for years, didn’t outlive some of the rockers whose pasts are far more life-endangering. But he leaves a great legacy of music.

UPDATE Tom Petty is near death. A few news agencies reported his death. it’s a technical thing. He’s brain dead. He’s been taken off life support. It’s a matter of time. It’s a cruel ending. Condolences to his family and friends. Such a great guy, great musician. He will be sorely missed. Petty just completed his 40th anniversary tour with his group The Heartbreakers. Earlier this year he was honored by the Grammys and MusiCares with the Person of the Year Award. I was a huge fan of his Sirius Radio show, as I’m sure many were.

EARLIER Tom Petty — I can’t believe I’m writing this– is on life support at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles after suffering a massive cardiac arrest Sunday night. The great rocker, a genial guy beloved by everyone, sounds like he’s not going to make it. Petty is 66. TMZ reported the story this afternoon.

Petty had a long, tremendously successful career beginning in 1979 with the hits “Breakdown” and “American Girl.” He was also part of the Traveling Wilburys with the late George Harrison, Roy Orbison, and the still very much alive Bob Dylan.

We’re sending love and the best wishes to Tom’s family. Losing him would be such a tragedy.